‘Nipple-dress’ moment at Paris Fashion Week divides
A controversial 'nipple dress' at Paris Fashion Week has ignited fierce debate about artistic expression versus exploitation in high fashion.
A daring look from Mugler’s Spring/Summer 2026 Paris Fashion Week show has gone viral, sparking debate about the objectification of women in fashion.
Portuguese designer Miguel Castro Freitas made his much-anticipated debut as the French fashion house’s new creative director, with a provocative catwalk that was designed to honour founder Thierry Mugler’s legacy.
Titled ‘Stardust Aphrodite’, the collection featured feathers, fringe, and leather, making for a bold and camp spectacle.
However, it was the return of the infamous “nipple-piercing dress” – delicate chiffon suspended from a model’s pierced nipples, first seen on the runway in the late 90s – that truly got the internet fired up.
The viral ‘nipple dress’
The standout dress, scattered with silver stars, made headlines for its barely-there design featuring straps looped through nipple piercings, leaving the model’s chest on full display.
It was a direct homage to the original Mugler “nipple dress” worn by Dutch model Erica Vanbriel in the brand’s Spring/Summer 1998 show, a piece designed by founder Thierry Mugler for his muse.
Vanbriel spoke to Byline in 2023 about how the dress came about, recalling, “I had my nipples pierced and I guess the word spread very fast. Next thing I knew, Thierry said: ‘I have a dress for you and I’m going to hang it off your nipples. It’s going to be a light muslin material …’
“I distinctly remember the silence when I stepped out on the runway, it was very serene and a little bit nerve-racking … But on the other hand, it is Mugler, it’s sexy, it’s hot, it’s daring, and it’s out there. Mugler had my back, you know?”
Fans praise ‘artistic’ look
Now, 27 years later, the replica dress has sparked a similar buzz.
Some loved it, praising it as an “artistic vision”.
“This is a statement!” said one.
“Fashion is art, not to be taken personally,” another wrote.
“This is soooo cool, like just understanding the thought pattern that would have gone on to create this dress is wild,” someone else said.
Supporters also framed any criticism as “purity culture,” defending the collection as a celebration of body positivity and the boldness Mugler is famous for.
‘Crosses a line’
Yet the dress also sparked fierce backlash.
Some labelled it “inappropriate,” “simply everything we stand against,” and accused the designer of “crossing a line” for a social media moment.
Some saw it designed for the “male gaze,” arguing that, “many of the biggest names in women’s fashion are gay men, yet their designs often over-sexualise women instead of empowering them,” and called for fashion to “lift women up, not reduce them”.
Fashion and culture commentator Pran Jallijain summed up the sentiment of many critics.
She said when Freitas “paraded a topless dress down the runway” she felt “annoyed,” despite knowing it was a reference to the famous archival dress.
“Here is a perfect example of how fashion is political and historical, because context matters,” she explained.
“The original nipple dress was created by Terry Mugler for his dear friend … it seems to me like it was an homage to Terry and Erica’s friendship. And looking at the larger social and political context of the late 1990s, the dress actually translated as sensuous and provocative, because at large, that’s what Mugler was known for.
“Looking at Miguel’s Mugler though, he’s clearly trying to take the brand in a more sophisticated and serious direction. So what the f**k was the topless dress doing next to structured blazers and mini dresses?”
She added: “I can tell you, the dress was a social media stunt engineered for virality. Yet again, a man using a woman’s body for shock value.”
So, is it art?
The original 1998 dress was, according to Vanvirel, “aiming for a Greek goddess style … he wanted it to come off very elegant, goddess-like and classy”.
The intention was art, not exploitation, she said.
But the tribute to this dress, nearly 30 years later, has clearly raised questions that perhaps weren’t asked back then – such as who gets to make such statements and at whose expense?
Not the first time
It’s not the first time a Paris Fashion Week moment like this has gone viral.
Earlier in the year, Dutch designer Duran Lantink sent a male model down the runway wearing DD prosthetic breasts, an act that similarly divided.
Some praised the boldness of the design, while others condemned it as a tasteless gimmick.
“Honestly … this is ridiculous. This is NOT fashion or art or whatever you think it might be,” said one.
“Women’s bodies are not costumes!” another quipped.
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Originally published as ‘Nipple-dress’ moment at Paris Fashion Week divides
